Kenai Fjords National Park officials are proposing to raise the level of Herman Leirer Road (Exit Glacier Road) to halt flooding/NPS

An Environmental Assessment for flood mitigation work on the Herman Leirer Road (formerly known as the Exit Glacier Road) at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska is now available for public review and comment. The comment period closes August 17.

Annual seasonal flooding of the NPS-managed road from milepost seven to eight has resulted in temporary road closures, public safety concerns, as well as road deterioration. The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is proposing to raise the Herman Leirer Road five feet west of the Resurrection River Bridge.

The construction project would include four box culverts, five feet tall and six feet wide each, to allow more water to flow under the road to help maintain wetlands and the floodplain. The travel lanes would remain 12 feet wide. The paved shoulders would increase to three feet wide for bicycle and pedestrian safety. The existing temporary jersey barriers would be removed.

Construction activity would occur from spring to fall 2016 during the day, with flaggers, some short delays, and one-lane traffic. A few temporary road closures would take place at night and in the early morning hours for culvert installation. The EA can be viewed at this page.

You can submit comments online at that website. Or, you may send comments by mail, fax or email to Sharon Kim, Chief of Resource Management, Kenai Fjords National Park P.O. Box 1727, Seward, AK 99664, Fax 907-422-0571, [email protected].

Comments will be accepted through August 17. For questions, additional information about this project, or for copies of the EA, please contact Dick Anderson, Project Planning Leader at 907-644-3536 or [email protected].